EHS girls finishrunner-up to O’Fallon
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Photo: Matt Kamp|The Intelligencer
EDWARDSVILLE — After needing 39 putts in her round of 6-over 78 at Tuesday’s Metro-East Shootout at Far Oaks Golf Club, Edwardsville junior Grace Daech wondered how much better her score could have been with better work on the greens.
She found out Saturday.
Daech fired a career-low 2-over 74, using just 30 putts, to place second and help EHS to a runner-up finish at the Illinois Challenge at Sunset Hills Country Club in Edwardsville.
“I’m very, very excited. I’ve been wanting to shoot a good score like that. My putting really helped today. It’s just really exciting,” said Daech, whose previous career-best was 76.
The Tigers had a four-player score of 329, finishing 25 strokes behind the O’Fallon Panthers.
Edwardsville counted Daech’s 74, Nicole Johnson’s 79, Caitlyn Dicks’ 82 and Riley Burns’ 94. Johnson took seventh overall and Dicks rounded out the top 10.
With four players in the top nine, including champion Reagan Martin, with a 1-under 71, the Panthers shot a season-best 304 for it fourth tournament win of the season.
Marquette took third with a 341, followed by Belleville East in fourth with a 363 and Triad in fifth with a 370.
Saturday’s tournament was originally scheduled as the Illinois-Missouri River Challenge with the top teams from west of the Mississippi River joining the field. Due to the coronavirus, Missouri schools were unable to attend.
Daech was still up to the challenge.
At the turn, Daech, who started on the back nine, was 1-under with a birdie on No. 18. She was still at even-par with four holes left but bogeys on Nos. 6 and 7 set her back momentarily. The junior recovered with pars on the final two holes.
On No. 9, Daech had a birdie putt from the fringe come up just inches short before she tapped in to close out the round. Usually straight-faced, she smiled and walked off the green to applause and cheers from her family and EHS coach Libby Koonce.
“I thought I was going to make my birdie putt. It went right over the edge. I would have been even more excited to end my day with the birdie,” Daech said.
Still, there was plenty for Daech to be excited about.
After breaking past the 80 barrier the last two tournaments prior to Saturday, the junior believes she is well past the turning point and on her way to consistent golf.
Putting helped that cause at Sunset Hills.
“My putting was really good,” said Daech, who had seven one-putts. “Today showed how good I can be when my putting is good.”
It’s the first time a Tiger not named Riley Lewis or Nicole Johnson led the team in scoring at a tournament since Sydney Sahuri at the Saints Shootout on Aug. 25, 2018. Two days later, Daech tied Lewis for the lead at the first round of the Southwestern Conference Tournament.
On Saturday, Daech was on her own.
“Huge day for Grace. She has had a target on her personal best and she was able to do that. I know she’s thrilled and I couldn’t be prouder for her. She had a great day. I’m over the moon for her,” Koonce said.
Daech will now try to carry the momentum over to the first round of the Southwestern Conference on Tuesday at Belk Park in Wood River. Round 2 is Sept. 29 at Far Oaks.
Johnson is the defending league champion and will be looking to become the first back-to-back winner since Alton’s Tori Hays won in 2012 and 2013. A Panther or Tiger has won each of the last five league championships.
For Edwardsville to dethrone O’Fallon, which has won four straight league titles, it’s going to take a team effort. Prior to the Panthers’ run, EHS had won 11 of 13 titles, including a share of it with O’Fallon in 2016.
“It’s a big one coming up,” Koonce said. “We’re going to need all hands on deck and I’m hopeful that can happen.”
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GIRLS GOLF: Daech goes low to finish second - The Edwardsville Intelligencer
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